Maruti Suzuki India’s production reaches 10 million units

Suzuki Motor Corporation is pleased to announce that car production at its Indian subsidiary, Maruti Suzuki India, reached 10 million units on 15 March.

Maruti Suzuki India traces its roots to Maruti Limited, which was established in 1971 after Sanjay Gandhi, the younger son of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, envisioned the production of a compact car in India for the Indian people. Maruti Udyog Limited, which was formed as a state enterprise in 1981, signed a car-production agreement with Suzuki in 1982. The first resulting model, the Maruti 800, reached the Indian market in 1983. The company, now named Maruti Suzuki India, has since produced, and marketed models such as the Omni (Japan name: Every), Gypsy (known in other markets as the Jimny), Wagon R, Alto, Swift, SX4, A-star, and Ritz (known in other markets as the Splash) in line with Indian road conditions and consumer demand. Production at Maruti Suzuki India reached 10 million units 27 years and three months after the start of production.

The Indian car market was under 70,000 units per year when Maruti 800 production began in 1983. It had surpassed 3 million units per year by 2010 and looks set to continue growing.

Maruti Suzuki India has a plant in Gurgaon and a plant in Manesar (both near the capital, New Delhi), which have combined annual production capacity of 1.2 million units. In line with market growth, the company is building two more plants in Manesar. The two new plants are scheduled to be completed in 2012 and 2013 and will each be able to produce about 250,000 units per year. Maruti Suzuki India plans to have maximum production capacity of about 1.7 million units per year in 2013.